Put Some Hussle In Your Step

Wouldn't the world be a boring place if we were all the same? Different personalities, different upbringing, different ways to see the world, it truly makes this life interesting and enjoyable.

We've been having a long term problem in our house that has recently come to a head. My youngest is 8 years old and in 2nd grade. This girl does not know how to hussle! Each simple task she needs to do takes her 10 times longer than any of my other children. She also loves playing up her place as the baby of the family. While she is very capable she prefers to act helpless and have me, her dad, or her other siblings do everything for her.

To complicate things further my two older kids (both 10) are extremely responsible. I know subconsciously I sometimes hold Phoenix to the same standard as her older siblings which I know is unfair. We have tried to set reasonable guidelines for self-care, homework, and helping around the house. I have a responsibility chart that has magnetic stars that go up each morning, afternoon, and evening, so the kids can see exactly what needs done. The kids are then rewarded for completing their chores by an allowance of 50 cents per day. If they do not complete their chores they are not paid for the day. If they do not complete their self-care and picking up after themselves responsibilities they lose their electronic privileges for the next segment of the day.

Now this all sounds good in theory but putting it into practice each day can be challenging. I'll admit I haven't been strict about always enforcing consequences. My youngest does not know how to hussle and it creates problems. Honestly a lot of times I have no idea what exactly takes her so long. My older two say she, "messes around" but I don't know exactly what that entails. I think she just picks up toys and starts playing with them instead of putting them away. It recent weeks it has taken her over 30 minutes to simply get dressed, a time frame I cannot fathom. Last week we had several evenings where it took her over an hour and half to get ready for bed. My last straw was one school night last week it literally took her over 2 1/2 hours to get ready for bed. Even with taking a shower the whole process should take no longer than 1 hour. My older two are usually ready in 30-45 minutes.

I know other moms have "slow-poke" children on their hands too. What do you moms do to encourage your children to get moving. How have you added more responsibility to your children as they have gotten older? Any advice, or suggestions would be much appreciated!